Bunch former



June 7 1927.

C. A. RINKER BUNCH FORMERn Filed April 7, l1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 vJune7, 1927.

' C. A. RINKER BUNCH FORMER c. A. RrNKER BUNCH FORMER Jung 7 1927.

June 7 1927.

c. A. RINKERr BUNCH FORMER Filed April '7, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Patented June 7, 1927.

l FiF-LCE.

BUNCH FORMER.

"/.Appn'catim inea Aprn' 7, '1925. serfal No.' 21392.

vThis invention relates to e inachinei'lfor use in the 'manufacture of'cigars and itis; more especially, a inuchinefor/forming bunches andconveying thein tothe rollers.

One of fthe obje'cts'lof the invention 'is to provide a machine otthischaracter' which will'not only` properly 'compress andf'shtipe the?bunches 'but will l r'lso 't'rirnif both? ends of the'bunch priorv tothes"deliverythereof fron/i the machine.

Another object 'is to provide 'la *bunch former whi'h canbeoperetediat'higlrspeed, :does notlrequi're the usefv :inexperiencedoperator, und which een be fused with er without other bunching'`devices,` 'therebyto perfect the bunches.

A stillj further' object 'is to provide a `ina- 'chine which reducesthea'rnount of'binder, filler and wrapper necessary' toproducei afinished cigar, therebT effecting-'e considerable saving in production.n

Another object is to :provide 1n c'igar buncher` adjustable to fornicigars loit different Isizes :ind which not only places the 'bunchesunder` desired lpressure Aduring the shaping operation but alsoautomatically dis ledges the' bunchesfsuccessivelyso as to"de fliverthern reaidily tol the roller. 4

A v'further object is to'previde le'rnachine the operation off which isvconstantlyunder the control of` the; 'person feeding -it :sot-hat thespeedof opertion will depend -upon the speed ot the operator.

Withthe foregoi rg and othenobje'cts in view which willaliip'eares theVdescription proceeds, the invention-residesfin the cornbine-tion and`arrangement et parts and in the 1details ot constructionhereinfterdescribed and 'claimed,` it being ti-Irderstood -tht changesin the lprecise embodiment `ettlhe invention herein disclosed Inay be-inade within the' scope of whzitis claimedw'ithout departing froml thevspirit of theinvetion;

n the"'acc`on1panying )drawings thefpre- Iterre-d form' of theinvention'has'been shown.

In said drawings, 'Figure' 1 is a siz'de elevation of the machine."'Figure'- 2 is n *verticalv` lcingitu'dinal"sectin through thelconveyor portion thereinv aiand the parts cooperating therewith. Y Y pl' Figure 3 is anenlztrgedrsectin Toniline S-,Eig'urel 'K V Y l igure"f1 is en enlarged lsection ien 'll'rne Figure2. l lFigure ffistnfenlarged hs'ectinen"flirte 'f--tfFigure-e. e' I l faces lof thecrossstrips. `sure plate=22 1s extended under and secured "tur-ned freeend; orn'ii'ngan abutment 24. TA spring'25 is interposed between tongue23 vl-igu'rel 6 -isat4 tlieforms. e fEiguref`7-Y1sa perspective view ofonefvof Lthe e] e'ctors used linxthe forms through onefof thelfo'rms.-`-F=1 `gure19` is aipln' View ofthe ejecter operafting lever. i v

Referring to thef'iguresfby charecters of I'reference 1! desig'ni'tesvthesupporting freine of the-'machine in which ere-j ournaled'transyeindQ'andfe chain 10; treinen electric niet-or 11. The operationof this motor can be controlled by ai switch 12 including a-oot yleverAorf tread'le -13 elocitedwat.` the feed end "oi" the '-Inachine. "Frame1 supports, at the feed end ai ttble lflfor'use by.tlie^operato`rvenden- -othertablell' issupfported' by the other end portion of theframe 1 for the cigr rollers.

An/elongated tnble 16 is extendedbetween the1sprock'etsx'f'ofl each pairendv has 'bearings 17 through which' the shafts 2 extend,

thesev "shaftsbeing arranged transversely of theta-ble. K 'Secured toa-ndle'xten'ding laterally beyond'andsupporting the table 16 are 'crossmembers 18. provided with 'upstanding rodsl19 extendingj through theends of cross lstr'ips l 20 and *zdjusta-'blv connectedto themley-"nuts- 21 engaging theupper vand lower An yelongnted presto thecrossstrips20 and secured to the bot'- tom ot-th'isfplate above thespaceybetween the sprockets 'nt thev feed end yot the'machine is f u closingtongue 23 which is inclined downwardly-towardtable lflfan'd has anVupand plate-122 nd 'servesto :hold the tongue '-23' yie'ldingly;pressedr downwardly.

V"lvlou'nted on: the side' portions `r ofthe table -1f6 areffsupporting1l frziin'es 26 on which are secured? parallel rails "27 veach fof whichhas! an "inwardly-'extending --iengel 128. `These rai-ls alre parallelwith the fplate. 22 and extend ``eloseto but arespaced frinthesprocketsf3. inn. v'endless eo'nveyor is used in Vconnection with the sprockets 3sindaisstorfxned:ofconinesting Alinks 129 :which `engage s ,the 1hdolzed'oo l `rFJgu'reS is a-c'e'ntral transversev section gstgng 'seidsprock'etfmay receive motion 'i ends 30 of strips .3l extending from theends of trough or box like containers 32. Thus the conveyor or beltformed in thiswmanner will be properly engaged by the sprockets and Willbe actuated thereby Whenever power is applied. y

Each container'. 32 is open at its ends to receive a block 33 in theouterface of which.V

its other end, as shown at 38. This yoke is pivotally connected at 39 tothe advancing side of the container' 33 and a spring 40 is located atthe pivot 'for holding the `form member 3,6 normally removed from recess34.

Slots 4l are formed in the bottoms of the recesses 34 and each slot hasears 42 slidably mounted therein.. These ears extend from an arcuateejecting plate 43 made up of opvpositely extending Wings as shownparticularly `inFigure 7. 'A pin 44 is extended from each ejecting platethrough the bottom of the block 33 and container 32 and has a head 45 atits free end. A spring 46v bears against this head and serves to holdthe ej eeting plate 43 normally flush with the bottom of recess 34.

Arms 47 are extended at right angles to the bottom lott each container32 and have outturned ends carrying rollers 48. Y

The plate 22 does not entirely bridge the space between the shafts 2 butterminates at one end in advance oi' the sprockets at the delivery endetthe machine.- An ejecting lever 49 is located under the rails 27 and haslaterally extending arms `S0-between its ends provided with depending`ears 51v pivotally connected to the frame 26 as shown particularly inFigure 2. One end of this lever is inclined upwardly andtoward the feedend of the machine, said end portion being downturned to provide adefiecting tongue52. The other end of the lever is extended up-Wardlytoivard the delivery end of the machine and has a head 53 beneathbut close to the path oit those containers 32 travelling toward thedelivery end of the =machine. The lever isso proportioned and locatedthat when the pin 44 oit one form arrives in positionabove head 53thecontainer 32 of another form vvill come against and deflect tongue 52 soas to cause the head 53 to thrust upwardly against the head 45 of thepin 44 thereabove, thereby to elevate or dislodge the filler containedWithin the form in Which the pin is mounted. v

The operatonwho is .the bunch breaker, is

located at the feed table 14 andthisoperator bunches the'iiller in onehand and apencase thebunch. This bunch is then placed in the orm-block33positioned at t in Figures l and 2. The machine is then started by meansot' the treadle 13 until another form is brought-toposition a. Thissecond form block is filled and the same operation is repeated, themachine receiving an .intermittent' motion due to the starting andstopping oi the'inotor. As soon as the machine is started the toi-mblock which has just been filled ata passes ,under the tongue 23 Which,being engaged by yoke 37, causes said'yoke to swing against ythe actionof spring 40 and.

bringthe movable former 36 into the recess Y form passes between theknives any` portie-ns y of the bunch projecting beyond the .open ends 35oi recess 34 Will be directed into the slots 55 and'be severed by theWalls of the slots.v As each form passes from under plate 22 at b inFigures l and 2 the spring 40 Will cause the movableform member 36 toswing out of recess 34, this movement continuing until extension 38comes against the plies thereto just enough binder to properly side ot'container As each form arrives in position above the head 53 anotherform actuates theV lever 49V to shift the ejector plateY 43 and dislodgethe bunch. Thus when the form is brought to a lpartly inverted positionabovetable l5 thebunch Will be delivered" therefrom on to the table.Wherethe Wrapper can be applied 'in the usual o r any preferred manner.r

By mounting the pressure plate 22 adjustably, it becomes possible tovary the pressure-exerted by the form members upon the bunchestherebetween. V

Obviously the forms can be of different lengths and can` have recesses0i' dierent sizes so that cigars of different shapes .and sizes can beproduced. The knives 54 are provided with clips 56 Which clamp upon thecross strip 20 on Which they are mounted, therebyenabling the knives tobe adjusted for' use in connection vWith forms of ditl'erent lengths.- f

that is claimed is: Y

l. In a cigar buncher a conveyor, forms carried thereby having openended bunch receiving recesses, movable form. members adjacentto butnormally outside of the recesses, means operated by theprnovement of theconveyor for shifting the movable form members into the recesses tocompress bunches therein, and cutting elements cooperating With the endsof the recessed forms for severing material projecting from the openends of the recesses.

2. In a cigar buncher an endless conveyor, a pressure member adjacentthereto, bunch receiving recessed form members movable With theconveyor, form members movably mounted relative to the recessed membersand normally located out of the recesses, cooperating means upon thepres-l sure member and the movable form members for directing saidmembers into the recesses to compress bunches therein and to maintainthe bunches under pressure during a portion of the travel of theconveyor, an ejecting member in each recessed form, and means operatedby each form for actuating the ejecting member of another form.

3. In a cigar buncher a pressure member, form members arranged in pairs,one member of each of said pairs being movable successively intoengagement with the. pressure member to compress a bunch between theform members of each pair and maintain a plurality of bunchesunderpressure, means for automatically separating'the form member ofeach pair successively While moving out of engagement With the pressuremember, and means depressible by a form member of one pair for lifting acompressed bunch from the separated form members of another pair.

4. In a cigar buncher the combination With an endless conveyor andcooperatin bunch compressing forms normally space apart, of spacedknives, a pressure member, and means for actuating the conveyor tosuccessively close together the cooperating` forms and direct the formsbetween the knives.

5. In a cigar buncher a conveyor including a container having open ends,a recessed bunch receiving` block removably seated in the container, aform member movablerelative to the container and normally outside of therecess, an elongated pressure member adjustable relative to the conveyorand` eX- tending longitudinally thereof, and means movable with theconveyor for movably engaging the pressure member to direct the movableform member into the recessed block and maintain it in the recess duringa portion of the movement of the block with the conveyor.

6. In a cigar buncher an endless conveyor,

separate pairs of relatively movable form members movable With theconveyor and normally spaced apart yieldingly, fixed means for holdingthe form members closed together to hold a bunch under compressionduring a portion 0f the movement of the conveyor, ment carried by oneform member of each pair, and means operated by one form member of eachpair for actuating the ejecting element of a form member of anotherpair.

7.- In a cigar buncher an endless conveyor, a pressure member, laterallyadjustable knives supported by the pressure member, cooperating bunchcompressing forms movable With the conveyor between the knives and alongthe pressure member, one of saidv forms having a bunch receiving recessWith open ends, and means carried by the other form for cooperation Withthe pressure member to direct said form into the recess to compress thebunch therein. i

8. In a cigar buncher an endless conveyor, a pressure member, laterallyadjustable knives supported by the pressure member, cooperating` bunchcompressing forms movable With the conveyor between the knives and alongthe pressure member, one of said a spring restrained ejectingy elefforms having a bunch receiving recess With open ends, and means carriedby the other form for cooperation With the pressure memi ber to directsaid form into the recess to compress the bunch therein, and means foradjusting the pressure member relativey to the conveyor for varying thepressure upon the bunch in the recess.

9.'In a cigar buncher a feed table, a delivery table, bunch receivingforms for conveying bunches from the feed table to the delivery table,and means for holding a plurality of bunches simultaneously undercompression Within the forms during said movey ment. 1

l0. In a cigar buncher a `feed table, a delivery table, bunch receivingforms for conveying bunches from the feed table to the delivery table,means operated by the movement of the forms for placing a plurality ofbunches therein under compression and maintaining them under compressionduring a portion of the movement from one table to the other, and meansfor successively lifting the bunches automatically Within the formsprior to reaching the delivery table.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oWn, I have hereto aflixedmy Signature.

CHARLES A, RINKER.

